The Forget-Me-Not Library is a sweet and hopeful novel, part coming of age, part magical- realism-light and generally a story about a small town with a lot to give when a person arrives there in need of some special healing. Juliet, a young woman from Michigan, was struck by lightening. She has physically recovered, but … Continue reading The Forget-me-Not Library – Heather Webber (narrators Hallie Ricardo and Stephanie Willis)
Tag: #comingofage
Sisters in the Wind – Angeline Boulley (Audio Book Narration by Isabella Star LaBlanc)
Sisters in the Wind is a lovely book, part coming of age, partly about incredible resilience and a lot about trauma. Lucy's very close to her father. He is very socially conservative and rigid but loving in her upbringing. Her mother died when she was very young. But then, her father starts dating for the … Continue reading Sisters in the Wind – Angeline Boulley (Audio Book Narration by Isabella Star LaBlanc)
Happy People Don’t Live Here – Amber Sparks (Audio Narrator – Erin deWard)
Count me as a person who adored this novel! I read the audio version, well narrated by Erin deWard. It is a fantasy in part. The story, which includes some past trauma for a number of the characters which causes them to life in ways that seek to control their environments in odd and arguably … Continue reading Happy People Don’t Live Here – Amber Sparks (Audio Narrator – Erin deWard)
Lone Dog Road – Kent Nerburn (audio narrated by Lynch Travis, Matt Haynes, Benjamin Collins, Tanis Parenteau)
Lone Dog Road is one of the loveliest books I've read. I read the beautifully narrated audio version of this story about Levi, aged eleven and Reuben, aged six who are forced to run from their home when the government agent who grabs children to send them to the Indian boarding school fixes his eye … Continue reading Lone Dog Road – Kent Nerburn (audio narrated by Lynch Travis, Matt Haynes, Benjamin Collins, Tanis Parenteau)
My Friends – Fredrik Backman
Fredrik Backman is a stunning writer. I rarely highlight what I am reading, even when I love the writing and even though, because they are e-books, I am not damaging a paperback or hardcover version of a novel. There is something about the way Backman thinks as he creates, once again, unforgettable characters that makes … Continue reading My Friends – Fredrik Backman
The Red House – Mary Morris (Audio Narrator – Alyssa Bresnahan)
The Red House is a story about trauma and a child's search to learn about her mother's experiences during WWII in Mussolini's Italy. Laura was born in post-WWII Italy to Viola, an Italian woman and her American father. The family eventually moved to New Jersey. Viola was an artist, who frequently painted a red house … Continue reading The Red House – Mary Morris (Audio Narrator – Alyssa Bresnahan)
Didn’t You Used to be Queenie Bee? – Terri-Lynne DeFino (Audio Narrator – Eva Kaminsky)
Didn't You Used to Be Queenie B. exceeded my expectations! I liked the concept, but how Terri-Lynne DeFino writes this story kept me engaged in listening to the audio version in the car in front of the house. Eva Kaminsky did a nice job with the narration. Gale Carmichael lives with his childhood friend, Kyle … Continue reading Didn’t You Used to be Queenie Bee? – Terri-Lynne DeFino (Audio Narrator – Eva Kaminsky)
The Road to Tender Hearts – Annie Hartnett
Annie Hartnett just blew me away again with her story about a 63 year old guy kind of on his last legs, a cat named Pancakes, two little kids he unexpectedly acquires due to a tragedy and his ex-wife and younger daughter. The whole story turns into a ridiculous roadtrip that happens on a whim … Continue reading The Road to Tender Hearts – Annie Hartnett
O Sinners! – Nicole Cuffy
In O Sinners! there are two men who play the key roles. One is Faruq, a young man raised by an observant Muslim father and, until her death in a car accident, a mother who was less observant. Faruq writes for an online site but he needs a break shortly after his father dies. His … Continue reading O Sinners! – Nicole Cuffy
Listen to Your Sister – Neena Viel (Audio Narrators – Eric Lockley, Kristolyn Lloyd, Zeno Robinson)
Listen to Your Sister is partly a horror story, but the focus is on three African American siblings, raised in Hollywood, Florida and now living in Seattle at a time of racial strife. The youngest, Jamie, is 16. His 23 year old sister Callie is his guardian because a determination was made he was no … Continue reading Listen to Your Sister – Neena Viel (Audio Narrators – Eric Lockley, Kristolyn Lloyd, Zeno Robinson)